


Trek to Themyscira

by TaangyChocolate



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, tarzan au, the science is spotty but works in universe okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-02-16 12:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18691483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaangyChocolate/pseuds/TaangyChocolate
Summary: Themyscira: the island engulfed by waves and supposedly lost to time. But with all evidence pointing tosomeremains of its society, Wayne Universities sends two of its best scientists to find out the one question that had plagued the world for over a century: just what happened to the Amazons?





	1. Prologue

He was waiting for her at the entrance’s steps when her carriage rolled up. 

Raven handed Victor the rest of her notes, murmuring to him to await for her in the library. Her closest friend nodded once and went up to speak to the driver. Victor winked at her and mouthed a ‘good luck’ before the driver snapped the reins and the two men were off, headed closer to the center of Gotham. 

The city’s most affluent member opened his arms as her attention went to him, “Ah, Miss Roth, glad to see you’ve arrived well.” Raven kept her back straight as she walked up to Bruce, trying to keep her face as calm as possible. Still, a soft smile lightened her face at the sight of the man who’d been so kind to her in the past. 

She held out her hand and spoke as he kissed her skin, “It’s wonderful to see you again as well, Mr. Wayne.” 

The businessman glanced at the departing carriage, “Victor won’t be joining us today?”

“Unless your letter was needlessly optimistic, we figured that our talents would be best utilized getting all the extra information possible,” Raven raised her head but he merely held out a hand and began to walk; she followed alongside him as they made their way into Wayne University’s halls. Her gray gaze flicked to the thin marks on his hand, just barely peeking out past his sleeves and Raven languidly guessed, “I take it Damian and Mrs. Selina are still fond of cats?”

A quiet laugh escaped him and his sapphire eyes shot down to her. Raven knew it was a rare sight for one to see _the_ Bruce Wayne look so _amused_ , “You’ve never been one for small talk, Raven. You must be nervous.”

“I am,” She shrugged, reaching up to re-adjust some of the pins in her hair. The zoologist bit the inside of her cheek, “This is a huge opportunity you’re supposedly open to funding, Sir.”

“No more expensive than my other expeditions.”

“But you’re particular on keeping this one small? There’s obviously a plan that neither Victor nor myself have been made privy to--”

“Yet,” Bruce interjected. 

“Yet,” Raven hummed in agreement. She ran a tongue over her teeth, “I have been close to your children for years now, Mr. Wayne. You’re not the kind of man to keep secrets like this unless you’re expecting an argument.”

His broad shoulders shook, “You spend time far too much time with Richard.” 

She clicked her tongue, “I’m not hearing any disagreement.” 

“Apologizes. It’s obviously _Jason_ whose been influencing you.”

Gray eyes merely stared at him for a moment. Nodding once, Raven looked forward again, scanning the route that they were taking. She would have guessed his office as their destination, but they were going the wrong direction. A hand came up to press her glasses more firmly atop her nose, “Is it correct to assume I’ll find out within the hour?”

A sigh escaped her as they turned another corner, the cracked door halfway down the hall her hint. Bruce touched her shoulder, “At least give the idea a chance, Miss Roth. Think of your future before making any decisions.”

“Not ‘Raven’ this time?” Another sigh, this one deeper but quieter. He let her simmer as she obviously realized why he went out of his way to greet her and opened the door. Calm and professional as ever, he strolled to his desk and sat, opening the bottom drawer as he ignored the indignant tension in front of him. 

Raven fought the urge to pinch between her eyes. The venom was obvious in her voice as she addressed the absolute _bane_ of her professional existence, “Zatara.” 

In terms of stoicism, the older woman wasn’t doing much better. The anthropologist folded her hands in her lap and sneered back at her, “Roth.”

Bruce’s voice cut through the air like a knife, plain and no-nonsense, “Themyscira.”

Both women turned to him. He motioned to the empty seat, raising a brow at the youngest. Raven closed her eyes and, after a beat, shut the door behind her. She didn’t acknowledge Zatanna as she sat, crossing her legs as she met the man’s gaze. 

The young woman ran a tongue over her teeth, “As far as I’m aware, practically all historians agree that Themyscira is lost to time.”

Her tone was full of questions and the Wayne laced his fingers atop the table. The gold of his wedding ring and the onyx of his bat shaped cufflinks gleamed in the light. That very same light was angled by the curtains, falling in the room to shadow his face, “Ladies, I know of your less than stellar history, but this trip is dependant on your working together.”

He forged on before they could even think of a question, “There will be approximately 75 people on this trip and 71 of which are relegated to crew.”

Zatanna raised up, alarmed at the prospect of working with Raven and at the sheer numbers they would be limited to, “Mr. Wa--”

Bruce cut her words off, “I’m under the assumption Mr. Constantine shall be Miss Zatara’s aide and Mr. Stone will do the same for you, Miss Roth?”

At the young lady’s nod his sapphire eyes stared into Zatanna’s, pointed and serious, “This trip will be an introductory session. You, Zatanna, are to focus on finding evidence of Themyscira’s culture and Raven will focus on evidence of the animals they kept.”

He pulled out the papers from that drawer, laying them out on the broad space of his desk. Both women peered at the pages, their eyes widening at the notes and sketches that graced them. Bruce let out a sigh, “A century and a half isn’t much time, and with these records that Kent has sent there’s bound to be plenty of ruins.”

Raven didn’t look up from the page as Bruce stood, but Zatanna did. The tension in her shoulders lessened as the Gothamite plucked his globe from the cabinets, pointing to a pin that marked Greece. Bruce met the anthropologist’s stare, “Clark is still in China, but some fishermen described experiences they’d heard of on the Silk Road. Hearing human voices over the fog near the area, clouds that may have been smoke, even carved splinters of wood that have washed up on Greece’s shores.”

Zatanna’s brows furrowed, “And they’re all consistent?”

“They must be,” Raven hummed as she inserted herself into their conversation, her fingers delicately tracing the sketches of goat skeletons near a paper’s center. The zoologist’s eyes were bright and her breath hushed, “These animals aren’t being used in the typical ways that husbandry dictates. And over here!”

She moved to where Clark had jotted a pole held up against a tree, “This isn’t the correct shape for any European shepherding tools used in the past century. From what I understand from Victor’s field, this may be a spear. Or even textured rope--”

Zatanna cut her off, “Isn’t all rope textured?”

Raven ignored the undercurrent of condescension, “The average rope a citizen may get their hands on, the rope a farmer may use to steady his oxen, the rope a sailor uses to tie his knots and the rope soldiers use to lock their cannonballs are all different, Zatara.” Her lips pursed as she noted that the rope’s twists weren’t consistent throughout one page, let alone all twelve, but she paid it no mind. 

She’d find out soon enough. Standing straight, Raven looked into Bruce’s face, “They’re braided in different ways and the pattern strengthens it. I’d have to get Victor’s opinion, but these could be enough to suggest weaponry along with their husbandry.”

Her eyes flicked to Zatanna and then Bruce again, “Mr. Wayne, I have to find out more. And as soon as Victor sees these so will he.”

Zatanna crossed her arms, drumming her fingers along her sleeves as she considered the option put in front of her. Navy eyes flicked to the businessman, “And just who will be leading this expedition?”

“It’ll be dual-led.” Bruce motioned to them both, “Depending on how much you find the time spent leading may be lopsided, but I’m putting aside enough supplies for a three-month trip.” 

Raven’s eyes closed at the news and Zatanna rolled her jaw, “Any particular reason why my accompanying zoologist must be _her_ ; surely there’s someone else more qualified than a child?”

That got a reaction from the man. He stood to his full height, the shadows cloaking him as he reminded them, “I’ve sponsored you both for a _reason_. You two are the best in your fields, whether or not the rest of academia disregards your ideas. Miss Roth is young but she is far more talented and nowhere near as corrupt as the heads of the rest of this country’s universities.”

The room was quiet as he took a breath then Bruce gave them a pointed look, “I know you two have not done so yet, but you will do great work together. Now, Constantine and Stone can find any sign of flora and technology that Themyscira utilized, but for this first trip their main priority is to help you two get as much as possible, understood?”

Raven glanced at Zatanna from the corner of her eye. Their eyes met and Zatanna begrudgingly held out her hand. The anthropologist kept her face blank as she decided to be the adult (and not simply because of their difference in ages), “Truce?”

Raven licked her lips and shook Zatanna’s hand, “We’re gonna play nice for Themyscira, then?”

The animosity was still there as they stared at each other, but it was diluted with her words. The memories of their brief interactions were strong as ever; times where they had fought for recognition in their fields, the slight commiseration when their colleagues looked down their noses at the two women who had ‘so brazenly infiltrated the boys’ club of academia, almost as bad as that Gordon girl,’ the terse conversations whenever they were stuck with one another at the Wayne galas, their first introduction and the bloom of quickly-squashed happiness of Raven believing she’d have a mentor and Zatanna thinking she’d have a protege. 

They’d gotten along that first day, up until reality of competition had slapped them in the face. 

But perhaps Bruce was right. Both had achieved so much while ignoring their respective field’s infighting and their own rivalry, who’s to say they couldn’t accomplish even more together? 

Raven let out a chuckle and turned to the sketches again. Gray eyes flicked up to the man whose family she could claim as her own and she grinned, finally letting her excitement show, “When are we leaving?”


	2. Planning

Victor let out a snort as she plopped down in the seat across from him, his eyes scanning the pages that he had laid out on the table. The note she had sent him as soon as her meeting with Mr. Wayne finished was lost under a sea of books he had already searched the library for, all containing even the smallest hint about the lost Themyscira. 

But there was a slight furrow to his brows and Raven sighed; Kent's notes obviously weren't as up to date as she'd thought. She rested a cheek on her palm and downed another gulp of her tea, hoping that the librarian wouldn’t notice she had snuck the small jug inside. She shook her head as she gave the notes another once-over, her voice low as she clicked her tongue, "I _know_."

Dark brown eyes flicked up to her face, amused. Victor chuckled, sitting up a bit straighter as he twirled the pencil in his fingers, "Do you even know _what_ you're commiserating along to?"

The zoologist grinned at him, "Not quite. But I can guess well enough."

She offered her cup and he took a sip, biting back a groan as the clock struck. Shaking his head, the engineer put his attention back to the notes, already planning his estimates for their course of action. Victor glanced at the young woman he could practically call his sister, his face softening at the trepidation that hid in the shadows of her face. To lighten the mood, he dipped the cup her way, "We're a quarter hour from entering your own personal Hell, Rae. Any final words?"

Gray eyes rolled but she couldn’t contain her growing smile. Raven tapped her nail to the metal in a faux toast as she quietly spoke their motto into the air, "What if not for the advancement of science!"

He laughed and repeated her, “What if not for the advancement of science!" Victor's eyes were bright and excited despite the unplanned additions to their expedition. Something in his usual pragmatic optimism made Raven smile just a tiny bit wider; as long as he was by her side, perhaps a quarter year with Zatara wouldn’t be too bad. She lazed back in her chair and patted down her skirt, wondering just _how_ she and Zatanna would begin to put aside their feud. She herself had no real issue with Mr. Constantine and knew that while Zatanna didn't care for his age the anthropologist at least respected the strides Victor had made through his inventions. 

But nearly three years of animosity wouldn’t be undone in an afternoon. Raven tilted her head back, listening to the scratch of Victor’s pencil against his papers. She closed her eyes and sought to steady her breathing, mentally preparing for the arguments and undercuts that were bound to occur. 

After an incredibly long moment, punctuated only with Victor’s frustrated hums and quiet ‘Aha’ what must have been a few minutes later, Raven opened her eyes. She turned to glance at the clock that adorned Gotham Library’s front wall. Just underneath, the librarian was quietly stamping out an elderly lady’s books when the door opened, his white brows jumping an inch as he glanced at the two visitors. 

The old man paid Mr. Constantine no mind and nodded once at Zatanna, the corners of his mouth quirking down. He had been witness to more than a few confrontations between the two scholars and was hasty to warn the anthropologist of Raven’s presence. It _was_ the weekend, after all. Most of the library’s patrons probably wouldn’t appreciate being audience to an argument, whispered or not.

Raven reached out to touch Victor’s paper as she watched the three; she felt more than saw him look up at the interruption. A soft noise escaped the man and his large hand covered hers. The inventor squeezed her fingers once, reminding, “For science, Rae.”

She nodded and raised a palm to wave at Zatanna, taking a bit of pleasure in the way the usually unflappable librarian’s face went slack. The old man’s lips moved in what must have been a stutter and Constantine touched his shoulder, his reassuring smile somehow both strained and not.

Zatanna left the two men at the front desk, striding up to the paper-covered table. She didn’t smile, but she didn’t glare as she simply addressed the young zoologist, “Roth.” Her sapphire eyes flicked to Victor and she held out her hand, more respect creeping into her voice, “Mr. Stone.”

He shook her hand with a smile, “Please, call me Victor.” A brown hand patted the pages in front of him, “If we are to spend all this time together, we may as well get comfortable.” 

His words were pointed and Raven ran a tongue over her teeth, “He’s right.” Gray eyes flicked to the Englishman as he strolled up. She nodded at him and he tilted his head her way. Tucking aside some of her hair (while internally cursing the pins that refused to hold her hair up), Raven suggested, “It may be best if Mr. Constantine--” 

“Just Constantine,” The man piped up. “Or John if you’d like.”

“Constantine, then.” Raven gave him a tiny smile, her lips going back to a line as she focused on her rival again, “It’d do us both good if either Constantine or Victor are mediators for any arguments we may have.”

Zatanna hummed at the idea, “That’s fine for now. But once we reach Themyscira…”

Raven shrugged under the pointed look aimed her way, “Then we figure it out as we go.”

The older scholar narrowed her eyes as she took a seat next to Victor. Constantine sat across from her and tapped his wrist when Zatanna crossed her arms. Glad that her braid was tucked up today, the anthropologist observed, “You’re calmer than I assumed you would be, Roth. Come to grips with everything _this_ quickly?”

Both brows jumped above graphite eyes, making the young woman's face so much more mocking than usual. Raven smirked as she glanced to the side, taking in Constantine for a moment. “I’m a _zoologist_ , Zatara.” She picked up one of Victor's notes, humming as she read her name jotted amongst the potential uses that some of the tools were used for. Certainly they'd be able to research quite a few species when they got there, but for now… 

Raven met Zatanna's gaze again, “I’d expect that Constantine’s own projects have exposed you to the spontaneity of field work, but your research rarely leaves the city, correct?”

Under the table, Victor nudged her boot with his own. He didn’t look up from his notes, “Behave, Rae.” 

Constantine reached for one of the pages, a grin sliding onto his face at the sight of the flower petals. Zatanna glanced at the engineer’s notes, her words laced with thinly laced disdain, “You _do_ know how to do proper note-taking according to Gotham University’s guidelines, correct? Victor obviously can but if we _do_ find as much as Mr. Wayne supposes we need to have synchronized summaries.” 

She looked the young woman over, “Preferably with washed hands and no traces of fur on the reports, mind you.” Raven bristled at the reference to her first foray into her field, her words cut off before she could retort. 

“We’re getting along, Zee,” John sing-songed, shaking his head good-naturedly as the academics sized each other up. He reached into his coat’s front pocket, grinning as he brought out a rectangular page, “And I’ve got good news.”

Victor’s brows jumped, “Is that a supplies list?”

The Englishman winked at him, “Straight from Mr. Wayne himself. Apparently, he’s given us _two_ 75-foot carracks.” John’s brows jumped with the others as he re-read the order. Cerulean eyes sped over the page, muttering, “Seems the old chap’s pretty certain of us bringing back _something_.” 

"You don't get to his wealth without gumption," Victor shrugged.

"True." Clearing his throat, John read aloud, “‘Of the 71 men allotted, there are to be 51 sailors and 20 guards, with 35 men assigned to the first and the captain commanding 36 on the second ship carrying the four scholars. The trip will take approximately four weeks and three days’ worth of travel each way, with three weeks of exploration and itemization under the guards’ protection. A third year’s worth of food supplied and a battle’s worth of ammunition for each ship.’” 

John’s nose scrunched up, “Certainly not a lot of time.”

“We can handle it,” Victor mused. Hickory eyes flicked around the table, lighting up as they landed on the youngest, “And unless we hit a snag, this trip should be the picture of the three Es.”

Zatanna raised a brow, “The three Es?”

Raven’s shoulders shook as she took a sip of her cold tea. She tapped the paper that Constantine held, “The best expeditions, whether for land or for academia, are educational, easy, and extraordinary. Although we usually can only get two of the three.”

John let out a laugh, smothering himself as the librarian glared their way, “No disagreements with that.”

The anthropologist crossed her arms, “Does the extraordinary usually hold you up? Certainly just studying animals isn’t too hard, I’d imagine. Otherwise Mr. Wayne would’ve asked another then--”

Raven cut her off, partly just for fun and partly for her own sanity, “Then what, if not for the advancement of science, Zatara?”

The men gave each other a look, deciding to let the not-quite fight play out as Zatanna drawled out, “How poetic. That something you say before going out into the field?”

“Of course not,” A pale finger pointed Victor’s way. The zoologist grinned, “That’s what I told him the first time he almost lost a limb running from a bear. It was our…” Gray eyes squinted in thought, “First year together on the field? Either way we were beginners to the whole ‘work outside of an office’ type of work.”

Raven leaned forward and folded her elbows on the table, fighting back a smirk at the way Zatanna’s nose scrunched at the unladylike act. Her hand waved in the space above the table, “Insufferable or not, I’ll try to keep you free from any harm a novice might fall into.”

She held up a hand and used the other to make a cross over her heart, “Scholar’s honor.”

Zatanna glared.

\--

Constantine groaned as the ship swayed again, the back and forth making his head throb. How much of that was the seasickness and how much was a consequence of his half-empty flask, he didn’t know. All he could do was clutch his head, grumbling out a “Bloody Hell.” 

Victor let out a grunt of agreement, his cheeks ashen as he fought off a bout of nausea. _God above_ , he was a fan high speeds but there was a difference. Whipping down the muddy cobblestones with only the horses’ reins and the hope that the carriage’s wheels wouldn’t give out was fun, having no control as the seas swung the only thing keeping them all from a watery death was something else entirely. Honestly, as much as he loved Raven Victor preferred Zatanna’s method of science. Safe and sound in a furnished room, lit by candlelight and serenaded by the city’s sounds all around him until he was ready to see his work in action. 

A part of him wondered where Raven was, but she’d always been good on the seas so he disregarded the thought. Especially as another heave threatened to escape him. The captain jogged past, laughing as he clapped the two land-dwellers on their shoulders, “The first week’s the worst, lads!”

John’s eyes widened and he leaned over the rail, dumping his breakfast into the blue waters. Victor winced, “Will it ever get better?”

The captain’s laughter boomed in the air and he put his hands on his hips, unfazed by the carrack’s tilt, “Just gotta grow your sea legs, men. The trip back’ll go swimmingly, promise.”

\--

Zatanna raised a brow as she opened her door, blinking as Raven deadpanned, “We need to talk. Urgently.”

“Well no need to sugarcoat things,” The older woman held open the door as she let Raven in, her jaw setting at the papers that the zoologist clutched to her chest. Taking a breath, she closed the door and watched as Raven laid out three pages on her desk. 

From her spot she could see the one page was filled with the now extremely familiar lines of Kent’s notes, one was crammed full of Raven’s own handwriting and the last must have been a copy of one of the library’s books. Zaranna crossed her arms over her chest, expectant when all the scientist did was look at her. 

Raven rolled her eyes before a stare-off could begin. She impatiently waved her temporary ally over, “Look at these, Zatara.”

The older of the two bit back a hum at the rare fire of emotion that shone from Raven’s eyes. But still, she stayed put. In fact, just to rub in the fact that neither was superior to the other on this expedition (let alone Raven’s status above hers), Zatanna leaned until her back rested against the door, “And why are you asking _me?_ ”

A vein over the younger’s eye twitched, “You’re the anthropologist. I need your… opinion.” She patted the papers once, “About the possibility of there still being Themyscirans alive. _Today_.”

Zatanna wanted to think it a joke, but she stepped forward at the look on Raven’s face. Her focus immediately went to the inkblots that emphasized certain sentences. Raven leaned forward to tap a marked section, getting to business without another moment's waste, “They apparently called themselves Amazons, although they disappeared before news of the New World really gained traction.”

That got her a blue side-eye and another bout of condescension, “Themyscira only used their sailing for martial reasons, Roth. Their spears aren’t…” She paused, her lips tightening into a thin line as she considered if her idea had _any_ merit. 

Ultimately, Zatanna didn’t think that it did, “Name aside, what we know of their gods and that their culture definitely contained eurocentric ideals. Same as all the surrounding countries and islands alike.” 

She ran her fingers over the sketches again, reading one of the notes that Raven had written near an inked boat, “‘They kept to themselves but weren’t hesitant to send distresses if truly needed.’ Surely they must have just been surprised by the hurricane.”

As if on cue the boat creaked with an especially large tilt and Raven slowly closed her eyes as a thump preceded Victor’s call of “Damn it all to Hell!” Her smile faltered at the feel of Zatanna’s eyes on her and spoke, “He has a bad habit of trying to sleep off his seasickness _and_ not using the bed’s straps to hold himself down.” 

Zatanna hummed at the look on her face and the tone to her words, “You think the Amazons were the same? That they were able to escape?”

“At least some of them. If any had lived past the storm then they would have been spotted around the island--” She held up a hand before the older woman could interrupt, “--the vegetation and terrain is far too wild to see anything of their everyday life while on any boat. But there wouldn’t be Themysciran technology washing up on Greece’s shores if they were confined to there.”

“You think they’re isolating themselves on _purpose?_ ”

Raven bit her lower lip, “Or on accident. I’m not sure _how_ this could have come about, actually.”

“The most recent tool washed up just a few months ago, so if there is a population it must be floundering,” Zatanna mused. Her fingers drummed on the desk, “Sixteen decades is a _long_ time to be cut off from a world that’s so close.” She glanced at the shorter woman, “You think their husbandry has anything to do with this?”

“Not their _husbandry_ ,” Raven stressed. She ran a hand through her hair, “There aren’t many maps of the surrounding islands, but I believe they’re crucial to this mystery. Might even have some ruins there too.”

Zatanna raised a brow, “There are… other islands?”

“Themyscira is the start of an archipelago,” Raven explained, pulling a crinkled pocket-map out of her pockets. She unfolded the paper that had obviously been well-worn prior to the expedition and pointed at the shaky lines, “They’ve never been explored. The Amazons made sure of it when they were alive and the storms have only just started to really erode the surrounding rocky reefs, but some zoologists hypothesized that they were concealing another Madagascar.”

The silence that greeted her was a question enough. She gazed up at Zatanna, a small part of her proud to be teaching Zatara something she had no idea about, “Madagascar’s ecosystem doesn’t have the large predators that other areas of Africa bear.” Her voice lightened at the familiar topic, “No large cats or dogs, no dangerously fatal territorials like hippos or rhinos, and early humans hardly made a presence. It’s the only place on the planet where lemurs and other small monkeys live and thrive natively.” 

Zatanna added on, “So if the Amazons ensured that only they knew how to navigate there, they could’ve stayed without any worries.” She nodded to herself then raised a brow at the uncertain look on the zoologist’s face, a scoff erupting out of her as she easily guessed the direction her thoughts were going, “I know you’re not acting like a child, but you might as well think like an adult if we’re even discussing this.”

Raven’s lips pursed at the insult then she hummed out, “It’s only childish to assume that the most bizarre answers can never be true.” Pale hands went back to her pockets as she looked for her world map, air escaping her as she unfurled it. Paying no mind to how Zatanna curiously peered at the animal sketches that spotted the page, Raven ran her fingertips over Africa’s border, “Now, disregarding humans the larger primates were spread between middle- to north-Africa and Asia,” Raven muttered. 

Her nail tapped Madagascar on the map, “But the small ones thrived closer to the equator.” 

Zatanna shrugged out her guess, “So any undisclosed primates that Themyscira may have known about would be big, like gorillas?” 

Raven pushed her glasses up, “Exactly! I’d have to ask Victor if he brought any of our past notes on primatology, but physical tools aren’t necessary if humans are constantly in close proximity.”

Her hands clasped behind her back she hesitated, reluctant as she turned to meet Zatanna’s stare, “Which leads me to my… idea. More of a proposition, really.”

“Oh?”

The zoologist bit the inside of her cheek, “I don’t know if I could get Victor to agree, but we could temporarily split off from the group.”

“You and Victor?”

“You and myself.”

Zatanna shifted and she pressed on, “Three weeks is nowhere near enough time to thoroughly record all we find on Themyscira _and_ get even the tiniest sniff of the rest of the archipelago. Victor may not be trained for zoology, but he knows how I record my findings. And I’d imagine Constantine is the same with you.”

“Where are you going with this?”

Gray eyes shut as she proposed her idea, “Look, I’m saying we search as scheduled for a fortnight, then leave the men to finish up any extra discoveries while we go to the second smallest island.” 

It was quiet for a long moment, the air filled with only the splash of water against the carrack’s wood and the sound of Zatanna brushing her hair off her shoulder. The anthropologist didn’t give an answer, only queried, “Is that the closest one?” 

Raven nodded. “We won’t have to go searching too hard, just a quick circle around on the carrack and maybe we can anchor down if we spot anything that may _suggest_ Themyscira still lives on.”

Their gaze met and Zatanna’s lips pursed, “Why?”

A sigh escaped the young woman and she straightened her posture, her respect less begrudging as before, “As much as I know about how animals and humans interact, your expertise would be more than helpful. Especially if we _do_ find any evidence of the Amazons.” 

Her chin tilted towards the door, “Obviously, none of the sailors would let us take a raft to the shoreline if my hypothesis is correct so anything you can notice by sight would be vital.” Raven briefly motioned to her glasses then clicked her tongue, “Not to mention Mr. Wayne knows the importance of asking for forgiveness rather than permission. If we find anything substantial then he’d approve of a longer, more extensive expedition. Think of what we could accomplish individually, let alone together.”

The boat swayed again and Zatanna crossed her arms, thinking everything over. Raven let a bit of hope bloom in her chest when a minute passed without a rejection, her fingers lacing together above her stomach. Finally, what felt like _eons_ later but really was only seventeen tilts of their ship, Zatara grunted out, “This plan is ridiculous, even for a child like yourself.” 

A hopeful graphite stare made her pinch between her eyes. Zatanna shook her head in disbelief of her words as she added, “But as meritless as it is, what if not for the advancement of science?”

Raven's smile lit up the room. 

A foreign, miniscule piece of Zatara thought it a comforting sight but she refused to let her mind wander; she’d heard enough from Constantine on how well they could’ve gotten along if their rivalry had been a mentorship instead and one agreement wouldn’t change their past. Physically shaking her thoughts away, all the older woman did was sigh as she motioned to the door, “It’s getting late, Raven. Give me until dinner to find all that I can from my own notes then we’ll discuss a plan of action in the morning.”

The zoologist nodded, her head tilting as she added, “May I ask that this stays between us? At least for now.” Her lips quirked down, “I hate lying to Victor but we need our strategy to be foolproof before we introduce them to the idea.”

Zatanna considered her words and agreed, “Very well, then. We still have three weeks; that’s plenty of time for the likes of us.”


	3. An Indication

Lounging about in the kitchen, Victor let out a sigh as he reread his updated notes. Their entourage had come within less than an hour’s travel of Themyscira, but the fog was thick enough to make their captain hesitant. No use in shipwrecking before any exploring could occur, anyway. 

Raven shifted against his side as she reached for one of her graphs, a sound escaping her as she hastily scribbled something in her notebook’s margins. Victor leaned back as she corrected a line that would have affected his calculations and downed the rest of his tea. Rubbing at his temples, he stood and barely bit back a smile as the bird nearly toppled at his not-so-sudden movement. Victor grabbed their cups and strolled to the kettle, glad that the sea’s rocking didn’t turn his stomach as it had a month ago. He lifted the kettle from the heat and was refilling his and Raven’s cups when Zatanna came into the room. 

The engineer didn’t say anything as the two quietly spoke for a moment, his eyes flicking from the steaming liquid to the way Zatanna scribbled something in his sister’s margins. Victor’s brows jumped as Raven smiled at the older woman; surprised, his mindlessly kept up his tea preparation and nearly added three lumps of sugar instead of his usual two. 

Zatanna flipped her hair over her shoulder as she stood again, patting Raven’s shoulder once and nodding at him before she left the room, obviously searching for Constantine. 

Victor called out to her back, “He’s bothering the captain about our methods for transporting any live specimens. They should be on the deck, portside unless he’s been thrown overboard by now.” 

The anthropologist let out a snicker as she stepped over the door’s step, “Much appreciated!”

Raven’s smile faltered and she let out a sigh as she rubbed at her temples, her face grateful as Victor set her cup down in front of her. “Thanks,” The zoologist didn’t hesitate to take a quick gulp of the tongue-burning liquid, unfazed by her long-time companion’s incredulous head shake. 

Deciding to comment on her tea dependence later, Victor murmured, “You two have been getting along well.” 

Gray eyes flicked to him and a lazy, curious smile came upon his features, “In fact, neither John nor myself have heard a single argument since around the time our seasickness ended.”

Raven chuckled, hiding the sound with another sip. Closing her eyes as the much-needed warmth slipped through her, she admitted, “We’ve come to an agreement of sorts.”

“In the name of science?”

Had her eyes been open they would’ve rolled at the cheeky grin he inevitably sported, “In the name of ensuring another expedition, Vic.”

“Hmm,” The engineer ignored the gray gaze that settled on him. Victor rubbed at his jaw, taking in the stoicism that concealed her face. Enough to throw off most (if not all) of the rest of the world, but he knew her far better than that. 

“Promise me something?”

Raven raised a brow and he shrugged, “You and Zatanna are obviously hiding some idea that’s _dangerous_ and probably incredibly impulsive.” He held up a finger and gave her a soft smile before she could argue, “In the name of science or not.”

“But just,” Victor shook his head, “Just let me know before anything has a chance to really go wrong, alright?”

The girl set her tea down, her lips settling into a soft frown at the worry in his voice, “Victor…”

His pointed look made her falter. The inventor shook his head, a quiet laugh escaping him, “I know you don’t believe in half-attempted preliminary searches, but don’t go rushing into things.”

“It usually works for us.”

“Yeah, but you’ve brought Zatanna into this,” Victor immediately countered. He rested an elbow on the table, his smile spreading into a grin at the memory, “We don’t need her almost getting mauled by a bear for her first mission.”

“Well we should be able to handle any animals for this,” Raven held up her tea again, her face bright and her shoulders less tense as he clinked his mug against hers. “I promise.”

As if solely to counteract her words a booming, haunting howl cut through the air, slicing the monotonous slap of the waves on the boat’s hull. 

Raven let out a gasp at the sound, her neck snapping to gaze out the open door. Victor immediately stood and jogged onto the deck, the salty air clinging to his skin as he tried to squint through the fog. The zoologist didn’t pay any mind to his quiet conversation with the few sailors that came to the same railing as he did; no, her heart was in her throat. 

She didn’t know the species, but she knew that only a primate could make such a sound. Raven closed her eyes and bit back a squeal, wondering if Zatanna was aware of what a call like that truly meant. Her hypothesis was right!

Standing shakily, half due to her nerves and half due to re-adjusting to the ship’s slow tilts, Raven took out her handkerchief and dabbed at her forehead. She wiped at her glasses once before putting the cloth away, her lips silently mouthing their discovery over and over again, “An ape…”

\--

“Alright,” The captain spoke, his voice booming and clear as he stood on the deck. It rang over the fog like a bell and the crew paused their work to pay attention. His eyes flicked to Raven then Zatanna as he addressed the whole group, “I already informed my first mate on our sister ship of our course of action.” 

Constantine and Victor exchanged a look as the man continued, “She’ll give us a lifeboat with all ten of her guards and ten sailors. We’ll take our ten guards and three sailors, with myself and our scholars.” He tilted his chin towards the navigator, calling out, “How long to the island?”

“No more than a twenty minute row, Captain!”

Nodding confidently, his gaze settled on the four, “Pack your essentials and we’ll drop ship in fifteen, aye?”

Raven was the first to shoot off from the group, her boots practically skipping against the wood as she bounded to her quarters. Victor chuckled as he rushed after her, patting his pockets and mentally preparing a checklist. The older couple paused and Zatanna sighed, “Get it over with now.”

Constantine raised a brow, “You have a _plan_ with Raven?”

The anthropologist ran a tongue over her teeth, “If we play this right, our expedition may last longer than the three months Mr. Wayne attributed us.”

John furrowed his brows and stared at her for a long moment. Zatanna rolled her eyes and started for her quarters and he followed. A curious hum escaped him, “Is it something that _I_ would do? Because if so I need to advise you against it.” 

Zatanna shook her head, a teasing tilt to her lips as she glanced at him over her shoulder, “Less drunken rationalization, more rebellious spontaneity.” Snickering as he decided to go along with the insanity that the afternoon was sure to bring, Constantine trailed behind her, wondering if he’d have time to roll a cigar before they left. 

However, in not even a half hour’s time he and Victor were sitting with the women between them, the four wide-eyed as the lifeboats unsteadily maneuvered over the island’s surf. The water was cold as it splashed onto their laps, but it was remarkably clear. So clear, in fact, that the captain had no problem directing the ships away from the rocks that lurked below. 

The fog seemed to lift slightly as they washed up on Themyscira’s shores. At the sight of land Raven almost stood, her move halted by Victor’s arm across her midsection and one of the soldier’s palms raising. He grasped his rifle and crouched at the boat’s stern, listening as carefully as he could. When nothing alive, yet alone dangerous, seemed closeby he motioned for the other guards to follow his lead. 

Just a few steps onto the beach and another roar sounded, same as the first. Everyone turned their heads and the captain let out a relieved laugh; the animal must’ve been on one of the other islands. “Check that everything’s clear, men. Then we’ll get these folks exploring!”

\--

Raven and Constantine were in a frenzy as they traversed Themyscira’s grounds. The Amazons kept their island’s secrets for a reason; all the vines and flowers, all the beetles and spiders, all the ants and weeds were familiar yet undeniably distinct from the rest of the Mediterranean. A bird flapped its wings and took off, inky feathers glossy despite the sunless-sky; Raven let out an elated laugh at the sight, her amusement mingling with John’s gasp at a plant whose mechanics assured that it must have been closely related to the Venus fly-trap. 

Victor and Zatanna were less excited than their companions, their faces solemn at the sheer ruggedness of the terrain before them. Themyscira must have been as tall as it was wide; even at the engineer’s incredible height, he had to crane his neck back to even try to glimpse at the top of the incline. 

“Miss Zatara…” He murmured.

“I know.” Putting her hands on her hips, the anthropologist looked around the best she could. From what was known through records, the Amazons lived in a valley in the very center of the island. But at the moment fog was still clinging to the very tops of the trees and their carracks’ outlines were barely visible on the open ocean. The ground, full of life as it was, was terribly rocky; the carved steps had eroded to the point of being more a slide than a footpath, the vines and the mud were too soft to hold any weight, and the trek would take far too much time. 

Not to mention the difficulty of going down to find the valley itself… 

She pinched between her eyes, an annoyed huff leaving her, “This will be _at least_ a month to navigate, and that’s without proper safety precautions. And another month more to set up any sites and create a path to bring specimens back to the boats.” 

Sapphire eyes flicked to Constantine as he let out a “Marvelous!” She raised a brow at the fruit-laden flower he had found, so alien to most of what grew in Gotham, before turning back to Victor. He didn’t notice as he strolled up to where the incline began, lifting his foot and testing the rocks’ stability. 

Zatanna’s lips quirked into a frown when he couldn’t even put half a step’s worth of weight, “We don’t have the time that we need, Mr. Sto-- Victor.”

He ran a tongue over his teeth as he watched Zatanna glance at Raven, the words escaping him quickly, “Then perhaps you should start your plan?”

When shocked sapphire eyes snapped to him Victor shrugged, “Raven hasn’t told me _what_ you two have agreed to do, but it might be worth exploring.” His gaze flicked from where the fog reached the steep hill and went back to the anthropologist, “I’m not sure if a full report from Constantine and half of one from Rae will be enough.”

A low hum escaped the woman and she turned, meeting the captain’s eye across the beach. Zatanna motioned him to walk over and asked, “How close can we get to the rest of the islands on the archipelago?” 

She glanced at Victor, “We could do a rough scouting, see if we can see anything from the carracks.”

Victor shook his head, looking completely unsurprised and letting Raven’s name slip out of him. The man stroked his beard, his chest rumbling in thought. After a moment he shrugged, “The fog appears to be clearing up the closer we are to the islands. We could do a quick check, although it’d take at least three, maybe four days off our time here.”

“Then can we split up? Have most of the sailors stay here and pack the specimens I know John wants to bring back--” She paused as the Englishman clicked his tongue in agreement without even looking up from the weeds he crouched over, “--and the rest go on to check.”

“Just a preliminary thing,” Raven piped up. She wiped the mud from her hands as she saddled up among the tiny group, her face lit up with excitement, “That roar obviously didn’t come from _this_ island. Perhaps if we can see some evidence of it…”

The captain nodded, “I’ll prepare my men.”

\--

Zatanna sighed as she looked out towards the fading sight of the third of the islands, grumbling with anticipation. Raven had taken to fiddling with the spyglass that Victor carried, trying to peek out past her glasses as they took the impossibly long way around. 

Two days ago the captain’s voice had been remorseful as he explained the reef was far too shrouded to get to their preferred island first; no, instead they would be going around all of the archipelago, reaching Themyscira’s closest neighbor last. Nothing of much to note for the other islands, but now they were not even an hour’s travel from that second island; Zatanna rocked on her heels, Raven’s musings still reverberating in her head. 

Who knew what they would find?

Constantine lazily walked up next to her, resting his forearms on the railing. He nudged her shoulder with his own, ashing his cigar into the ocean, “Excited?”

Chuckling, she tossed some hair over her shoulder, “The fog’s lifting and Raven is sure that the Amazons have been to the island before. We should be able to see _something_ , especially with what the notes say of the topography.”

The blond’s brows furrowed, “New notes?”

“Apparently, Themyscira is the only one with massive inclines. The rest are mainly populated with hills and trees. Their boulders should rarely be larger than a carriage,” Zatanna grinned as his face lit up with recognition of where her mind was. 

He blew out a puff of smoke, the cloud mingling with the salty fog, “You think we’ll see chopped down trees?”

Zatanna shrugged one shoulder, “At the very least ones that have been carved in some sort of way. Their weapons and twine have to had come from somewhere.” The anthropologist nudged his shoulder like he did hers, teasingly batting her lashes up at him, “That’s where you come in, John.”

His mouth opened to retort but one of the sailors cut him off, “LAND!!!”

There was a brief half-second of silence then the sudden flurry of motion from the sailors, directed by the man’s cry of “HALF A NAUTICAL MILE, STARBOARD!!!” Their surprised, eager gazes met and they rushed to where Raven was practically atop Victor’s back, desperately trying to peek out past the rapidly thinning fog.

“I can’t see anything!” Raven bemoaned. She huffed and handed Victor his spyglass back, leaning over the railing and squinting behind her glasses. A dark hand came to grab at her shoulder before she could accidentally topple over the edge, “The fog is lifting pretty steady.”

Victor rubbed at his jaw, adjusting the spyglass as he muttered, “This should be working despite any murkiness.”

He leaned back to give the other scholars more room as he started walking along the railing, trying to spot anything on the island. The clouds were clearing and after a few frustrating minutes the engineer let out a gasp as the island’s shore came into view. 

Victor blinked, took the spyglass away from his eye, rubbed his face, blinked again and brought the glass to his face once more. His lips trembled and he shouted Raven’s name, urging her to come to where he stood, “Dear Copernicus in Heaven…”

He ignored the sound of Constantine skidding up and pressing against his shoulder. The carrack passed the fog’s edge and beside him the other three went silent, mouths falling agape at the structure that they saw. They couldn’t see the doorframe, the nails and steps that the spyglass allowed Victor to see so clearly, but all knew that they had found it.

Its rotting had started years, if not decades before. There was a corner that was blackened with fire, and as soon as they could get closer none would be surprised to see over a year’s worth of cobwebs. Dark brown and enforced with what must have been now-rotted away leaves, the cabin was more of a hut that anything. Armed with two windows and a door, some Amazon had once lived there. 

Her eyes wide, Raven drummed her nails on the railing. She roughly swallowed the air in her throat, too astounded to bother pulling her glasses away as her flushed face made them start to fog up. 

Pale fingers ran through her inky hair, uncaring as some pins fell to the floor and rattled on the wood. Overwhelmed at how much they would get to discover, stunned that her idea was just proven true, giddy at how much Mr. Wayne would back her and her future expeditions once he got news, Raven pushed her glasses higher up her nose. Her lips spread, her smile as wide as her heart was full and she whispered, “We may need to change our plan.”


	4. A Pair of Wonderful, Awful Ideas

“No.”

Raven paid no mind to the way Constantine sipped at his flask, the botanist obviously amused despite his serious countenance at the scene unfolding. He kept an eye on Zatanna, still rummaging around the rotting outsides of the cabin, and went about poking at some of the plants that graced the ground. He flipped through his almanac (and let out a sigh of relief at the more recognizable species that presented themselves on this island) as the zoologist perched her hands on her hips. “Victor,” She tried to appeal to him, but his denial immediately carried over her voice, “Absolutely _not!_ ” 

They glared at each other, neither willing to back down. A harsh laugh shot out of him and he ran a hand over his face at the determination on her face, “Have you gone mad, Raven? I wouldn’t even leave the best half of the guards alone, and yet you--”

“Are more than capable enough of surviving until the rest of the expedition returns.”

An incredulous, protective, astounded snort rumbled out of him. “And just _how_ will you survive? The water--”

“Is fresh and the ship has spare pans we’ll keep for boiling if needed.” 

“And for food?” Both his brows jumped, mocking and scrutinizing as he desperately tried to change her mind, “There’s no guarantee that rations will keep long enough even _if_ we agreed to this unbelievably _idiotic_ plan.” 

“I have my crochet hooks and enough twine to build a dozen rafts. I’ll fix up a net and fish off the rocks.” Pink lips curled into a wry line, “And if all else fails Constantine will lend me one of his farmer’s almanacs for any and all known Mediterranean flora. We won’t stray from it.” 

Victor rolled his jaw. He knew that Raven saw the widening cracks of acceptance that were starting to show in his eyes and surged on with the most pressing of all matters, “And if these primates attack? If they’re as big as you presume they are, what then?”

Pale fingers twitched and Raven swallowed the air in her throat at the near crack in his voice. Even after all this time, he was still so protective, just as an older brother should be. She slowly blinked once, taking a breath so as to inspire his confidence even more, “Jason taught me how to shoot a gun.”

Gray eyes flicked to the ship with her words. Victor’s lips tightened and she straightened her back, not-quite-glowering at him as she put her foot down (metaphorically, of course. Small stature or not she wasn’t a child anymore), “Vic, you _know_ I could do this on my own. Take the fact that Zatanna will be accompanying me as the extra reassurance that it is.”

A sigh heaved out of him but his shoulders were loose, “This is a horrible idea.”

“We’ll save an extra month’s worth of supplies if you head back to Themyscira today and then immediately to Gotham. Think of it, Vic,” Her hands grabbed one of his, squeezing hopefully. “A decade from now we could be musing about this very argument over whiskey as we calm down from our honors at one of Mr. Wayne’s galas.”

Waving off the pointed look he sent her, the zoologist added to her dreamy scene, “And I’d remind you that I was unharmed during the entirety of your absence. In fact, I’ll even showcase our mementos from our research to celebrate afterwards. Perhaps one of the many treasures Zatanna and I will certainly find after we see you boys off, hmm? I’ll write of it and let you read my journal as soon as you return.”

Victor shook his head at her calmness and repeated his claim, “This is a horrible idea.”

A brow raised over gray eyes, “But you know that it’s one that must be done?”

“It doesn’t _have_ to be done,” Victor drawled as he leaned down and wrapped her in a hug. Raven immediately returned the embrace, letting out a little squeak of surprise and snickering against his shoulder as he lifted her in the air. His nose pressed to her temple, “But I know that if anyone could it would be you.” 

He squeezed her tighter, not wanting to let go, “Promise me you won’t die.”

Raven leaned back to take stock of the abundance of emotions plain on his face. She patted his cheek, “If a pack of grizzlies can’t get me, nothing can.”

Victor scoffed and she smiled, “I have a few Wilde novels in my quarters. Every sunrise that passes I’ll carve a page’s quote and the date into that tree.” Brown eyes flicked to the gnarled trunk that she pointed to, “I won’t miss a single day.”

“So when we return I’ll know just how quickly you perished?”

“So you’ll know that I didn’t stop waiting on these shores. You’ll see them and we’ll meet back up on this very beach when you return.” She smiled up at him, knowing better than to try to butter him up for her next idea, “And yes, while we may use the lifeboat to travel to and back from Themyscira--” A pale finger raised before he could argue, “I’ll leave the date we left and returned as well. Have the sailors leave a flag where they left and I’ll leave quotes there too.”

Chocolate brown eyes were an odd mix of distraught and amused, “Your dress will weigh you down. Drowning leaves me with nothing to mourn.”

“God Almighty you’re pessimistic about this.” He fully put her down and Raven crossed her arms, her face soft despite her sigh, “I see _why_ , but you should also be encouraged. This is the discovery of a lifetime, Victor. And it’s right at our fingertips.”

Despite his worries a tiny smile curled his lips. Victor kissed her forehead, “You must’ve gone mad years ago. I’m not even surprised you’re about to do this.”

Gray eyes were warm as she put her hands on her hips, “Of course. Now go back with Constantine, pack up all the specimens collected so far and convince Mr. Wayne that my sanity is just as certain as my competency.”

The engineer let out a laugh, “His children love you. His assumption on your stability is already solidified.”

“As it should be,” They chuckled together and he kissed her temple. He sighed against her hairline, “Please stay safe and in one piece, Rae. You’re the only sister I have.”

Raven beamed up at him, “Then you best hurry back, Vic. You’re the only brother of mine.”

\--

Zatanna carefully hunched over as she reread her recordings on everything they found in the cabin so far, her shoulders sore after how furiously they had waved goodbye to the rest of the expedition. She glanced to the side where Raven sat, a fond flutter to her heart at how well they had worked together so far. The girl’s self-assurance meshed well with her own overconfidence, and they both played off each other’s eagerness as more and more pieces of _who_ had called the hut home opened up to them. 

Raven was hunched over what appeared to be a child’s storybook, scribbling notes about the species and details of animals depicted, as well as how they were being used. Zatanna watched her for another moment, her eyes moving to the walls behind her. Half-rotted and partially burnt, she could tell (as she had with the rest of what the cabin’s contents hinted) that the Amazons had held a great deal of respect for family. 

No one had been left out and people came and went. This must have been a nursery of some sort, if the carvings and flaky paint was any indication. Such a nursery was probably retrofitted to make a hub after the hurricanes hit and they fled.

Zatanna’s lips curled down and she shook her head at her own assumption. Sure, their own expedition had been able to sail around and traverse the tiny plot of Themyscira that they had landed on, but that didn’t mean no Amazons survived within the valley. 

“Not sure if they ever came back _here_ , but they almost certainly returned home after the storms,” Raven murmured. 

Gray eyes flicked up and Zatanna briefly wondered if the girl could read her mind. A smile slid onto the younger’s face at the confusion on the older’s, her words coming out in a chuckle, “You whisper when you ponder possibilities. I don’t mind, but just let me know if you’d like me to add on to your brainstorm.” Her smile faltered, breaking a bit as she casually added, “I don’t know _much_ about engineering or inventing or even anthropology, but it seems to help Victor when we study together.” 

The anthropologist let out a quiet hum at her words, not responding beyond that. Her sapphire gaze went to the obvious evidence of a framework of action, the map and copy of the moon’s patterns far too complicated for young children. 

“Surely there must be other cabins around this island, maybe even on the other ones that we passed earlier. This one is too…” Zatanna’s words trailed off as she tried to pinpoint why she felt so much resistance to the idea of this nursery being as old as the hurricanes. A soft wind brushed up from the ocean, knocking a crumble of wood-rot onto the ground. Sapphire eyes widened and the anthropologist looked around the room again, “It’s _modern_.”

She leaned back against the wall, peeking out past the windows to the clear water and soft sand that seemed to extend forever, stopped only by the lingering fog, “We’re not a stone’s throw away from the ocean, Raven. This place isn’t protected by the trees or leaves, the climate is humid enough, and with the yearlong fog--”

“Wood wouldn’t last too long, especially without being properly lacquered,” Raven continued her companion’s thought, gray eyes flicking up to the blackened marks. A sigh escaped, “Perhaps _if_ there are still Amazons back in the valley, then they come to this island to teach the youngest about the life skills they need.”

Zatanna fought back a smile, “I haven’t been in grade school in _years_ , almost decades, Raven.”

The girl snickered, her shoulders shaking as she reclined against the wall. Careful to not topple through, she sighed out, “You’re the anthropologist but I have some more ideas on their lives, but there’s not much to tell until we start to explore some more.” 

“Let me hear them.”

Raven met the older woman’s gaze, her face going thoughtful as she blurted out, “Perhaps we’ll see if there’s any sign of more buildings. If the Amazons knew that only they knew about these islands, there’s no need to hide where they dock, right?”

At Zatanna’s nod, she continued, confident in her logic, “Then that means we can circle the island first, see if we find any evidence of them going back and forth. If anything’s here, we’ll stay and record. If there’s nothing, we finish recording the cabin and head to Themyscira.”

Zatanna pursed her lips, “You still think some are alive?”

“I do,” Her jaw rolled. “If they lasted long enough to be able to make a cabin so recently, they’re bound to still be around.” Gray eyes went to the window as another soft wind creaked the old wood. She remorsefully patted her notes once and stood, stretching onto her toes as the blood began circulating in her legs again. “We should reinforce everything before it gets too dark,” Raven suggested. 

“You’ve recorded everything around the windows already?” At Raven’s nod, Zatanna stood and went to the supplies the captain had roped together for them.

After a few hours, the sun started to set. It painted the clouds like melting sherbert, both pastel and dull colors mingling in the sky. Raven sighed as she watched the sunset, wondering if the sunrises here held a candle to the ones in Gotham. 

She licked her lips as her stomach rumbled. “Zatanna?” The zoologist called over her shoulder, “Do you want to do half- or quarter- rounds tonight?”

The older woman poked her head out of the door, “Half is better. You want first watch?”

\--

Themyscira, lost to time that it was, practically buzzed with excitement under the moon’s light. Had she not been on watch Raven would’ve closed her eyes and meditated to the sounds that surrounded her. Bugs that she’d yet to record scuttled over the cabin’s top, birds she’d yet to sketch flapped their wings and cawed out as they snatched crabs from the surf, tiny creatures she’d yet to determine any link to the Amazons snored high off the ground.

Pale fingers drummed over her thigh as she took stock of everything around her; Zatanna was curled asleep in a ball near the mass of candles they had lit, the dozen pistols and three cases of ammo were not a hand’s length away from where she sat, the boarded windows were studded with nails but still shone flickers of light through the cracks. She stretched her legs as she kept watch, the music of the night-time keeping her awake.

Her head raised as the boards creaked outside. 

Raven stretched to put a hand over Zatanna’s mouth, her narrowed eyes trained on the window. Pale fingers pressed down on the older woman’s lips as she jerked awake, the biologist not taking her attention away from the hand that was batting at a weak spot in the window’s boards. A piece of her heart hoped it was an Amazon, a human, someone she could reason with; a bigger piece of her brain screamed at her that it could be a primate, an animal, something she'd have to scare off.

Silently letting a slow breath out of her lungs, Raven grabbed one of the pistols the guards had left with them. She moved in front of Zatanna, remembering Jason’s words on staying steady and moving her palm to muffle the sound of the safety's _click-click!_ as she got into position. She aimed at the window, her finger hovering over the trigger as the hand receded into the shadows. 

A sliver of a woman’s face took its place. 

Raven stared into the bright blue eyes for an impossibly long second. In the dim candlelight the pupils visibly dilated and the woman jerked out of sight. All was quiet as they heard her take a heavy step back. A shiver ran through the zoologist but she kept her hands up, desperately trying to hear what was going on outside past the sound of Zatanna’s terrified breathing. 

Both let out a shriek as a fist suddenly punched through the boards, shattering the planks as if they were twigs. Zatanna hugged her from behind, her nails digging into the girl’s clothes as the fist unfurled and its twin started to help pry open an entrance. 

Raven pulled the trigger. 

The flash of the muzzle blinded her and the scream of the woman and her tumble down the cabin’s rotting steps filled her ears. Another scream, this one from behind her as Zatanna’s boots scuffed the wood, dragging against the floor as she scrambled to grab one of the pots.

There was a terrifying pause as another set of footsteps thudded outside the cabin. Then there was a shift of movement, a grunt, and the sounds of two feet jogging away. 

Silence filled the air, ringing loud in their ears. Even the bugs had paused in all their movements, waiting for the wind to return. 

Another pause, then the noise of the island came back as the waves crashed on the beach. Raven’s hands trembled as she wiped at her eyes, slowly resting on her haunches as Zatanna's foot nudged the candles closer to the door. The two sat back to back for the rest of the night, a gun aimed for another intrusion and a tightly gripped pot ready to smash any fingers that dared try to sneak in. 

\--

Once the adrenaline of the encounter faded, the night seemed to speed by and didn't falter until the early morning slowed to a crawl, the seconds strolling along with the pastel clouds.

It wasn’t until the birds started cawing that the scholars worked up the courage to peek outside. Zatanna sighed as she looked at the browning puddle of blood, softly touching the young woman’s shoulder as Raven blinked. Unsure whether or not the sight was a good thing, she tried to keep the already heavy air light, “Well, looks like you must have just grazed them.”

“Her.”

Zatanna took a step out onto the wood, her stomach knotted in an odd mix of fear and wonder, “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.” 

Humming, she stepped fully out into the open air. Cautious and curious at the lack of footsteps, Zatanna wondered _how_ the footsteps completely disappeared as soon as they reached the treelines. “You know,” The anthropologist slowly looked around, thinly smiling at the back of Raven’s head as the girl kept a sharp eye on the forestline, “Apparently Themyscira was populated only by women.”

A tiny smile curled pink lips, “I get the feeling that we’d certainly get along well with them.” 

Raven chuckled at her comment, her steps steady as they took stock of everything around them. After nearly an hour, when the clouds were back to their normal while and the coast seemed clear, Raven made her way to that gnarled trunk. 

She kissed her thumb, took out her knife and set about carving her first quote, the most obvious choice being one that she knew by heart:

_“You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.” -R. June 12th, 1902_

A not-quite smile tersely came to her face and she debated whether or not to journal all the insanity that had happened just yet. She felt as Zatanna crouched next to her and hummed out, “Victor was always keen about this one.”

Zatanna let out a chuckle, “I can see why.”

She glanced around, squinting as she tried to place anything out of sorts with the trees. Nothing, of course. She nudged Raven’s shoulder, glad that their less stuffy clothes afforded them some refuge from the island’s humidity, “Care to go look around? See if we can spot anything.”

Raven slowly nodded, her hand going to the pistol on her hip. She ran a tongue over her teeth and glanced at the sky, not as cloudy as the previous day, “The light’ll keep us safe.”

Armed with only a gun, a pen, and a notebook, the two took off in a steady walk. They didn’t stray from the water’s edge as they started east. The sand was soft under their boots and the wind was light; conversation was only the murmurs that Zatanna inadvertently spoke as she scribbled her observations down and Raven pointing out something that caught her attention.. 

As the arc of their route obscured the cabin from view another howl rattled the air, this one distinctly ape-like and echoing from what must have been the other side of the island. Raven didn’t aim her gun but she did snap her face towards the rustle in the trees, a gasp filling her lungs and her shoulders going tense at the sight of four eyes peeking out from the leaves. 

Zatanna’s hand went to her shoulders, the older woman freezing in shock at the sight of two tall, muscular women gaping at them from the tree branches. 

Bare with only a skirt around her hips, the smaller of the two had a bloodied pelt wrapped around her bicep. Both had long, wild hair and similar features, adorned with scars all over every inch of them. The scholars would’ve blushed at their near-nudity, but time seemed to freeze as the four stared at each other for a long moment, not knowing how to react. 

Obviously sisters, the two women --Raven and Zatanna both knew they were _Amazons_ , no doubt about the fact-- exchanged a look. The taller one raised her chin as the presumably younger one jumped from branch to branch, swinging away into the shroud of the forest. Her broad shoulders squared and cerulean eyes narrowed at them. Getting the distinct feeling _she_ was the problem, Raven moved the gun behind her back. 

The Amazon's head tilted and she turned her bare back to them, quietly escaping the way her sister had. 

There was a silence as Raven’s knees threatened to buckle as her flush flooded her face; Zatanna let out a trembling sigh and covered her face in her hands. Whether or not the Amazons thought they were sisters as well, neither scholar knew; what they _did_ know was that they couldn’t have their breakdowns here. Raven cleared her throat, awkward and numb with a plethora of emotions. She didn’t know if she were more entranced with the discovery or their beauty (or even if her stasis was due to her absolute horror at the fact that she had _shot_ the very one who stole her breath away twice in a half day's span). Shaking her head, the zoologist murmured, “We should go back.”

Zatanna nodded and grabbed her arm again, obviously too consumed in her own mile-a-minute thoughts to even attempt to speak. 

The cabin wasn’t very far. They both immediately went about fixing breakfast rather than try to conceptualize the thoughts they mused about. For nearly a quarter hour the two ate in silence as the tea’s water started to boil and the kettle sang out. Raven bit the inside of her cheek as she prepared two cups, the words slipping out fast, "Do you know how to speak Greek?"

Zatanna put down her pear and sighed, "I hate that you're asking me this."

She leaned her head back and they gazed at each other for a long minute. The older woman pinched between her eyes, “We know they’re real. Please don’t say what I know you’re going to say.”

Raven’s tongue darted out to wet her lips. Zatanna groaned at the look on her face and the girl dropped a sugar cube into each cup, "We should go meet them."

"You're absolutely mad."

The zoologist’s hands were shaking as she handed Zatanna her cup, gray eyes bright and worried and _delighted_ , "Now you sound like Victor."

Zatanna took the tea, sipping slowly as the young woman sat down next to her. She shook her head at the anticipation on Raven’s face, a snort escaping her, "How _haven't_ you been killed in the field yet?" 

"The bears were too slow."

Zatanna paused at that answer, her brows furrowing before she decided to simply take it at face value. She clicked her tongue, moving to the most pressing matter of dissuading the god-awful thoughts that Raven seemed to be leaning towards, “This is a horrible idea.”

Gray eyes rolled even as a grin split the zoologist’s lips, “If I wanted to hear Victor’s complaints the whole time I wouldn’t have invited you.”

Sapphire eyes shut. Did she dare voice the worried that were obviously on both their minds so soon? Neither ever hesitated with making their opinions know ( _especially_ to each other), but this was uncharted territory, geographically and academically. Her lips slid into a line at the thought of the Amazons, the apples of her cheeks darkening at the thought of the taller woman and her threatening, all too attractive _glare_. 

Letting a fast breath out, the anthropologist commanded, “We’ll journal everything down first.” Zatanna’s gaze flicked around the room, “I’ll check that we’ve recorded all that we could with the cabin, but I want Constantine to know how we’re about to die and by whose hands.”

Raven stood to do as she said, the pen cold in her fingers as she drawled, “Do you know what a ‘pessimist’ is, Zatara?”

The anthropologist raised a brow. A humorless laugh escaped her, “Someone who believes the worst will occur?”

“No.” Raven looked up at her, biting the end of her pen as she thought of just how to sketch the two women they had encountered, “'One who, when she has the choice of two evils, chooses both.'” 

Sapphire eyes flicked up from her notes, her head tilting to the side at the familiar words, “That’s Wilde, is it not?”

The younger scholar nodded, “It is. However, it’s not nearly as _wild_ as running from bears or running towards Amazons.” She chuckled at her own joke, uncaring as Zatanna leveled a pointed stare her way. 

“We’re going to die here,” Zatara deadpanned. 

“Maybe so,” Raven shrugged. Her smile grew to a grin, “But what a death it will be.”

Her notes dropped to her lap, showcasing the Amazon’s faces to the room as pale hands lifted, spreading out as if showcasing a painting, “Think of it, Zatanna. We could have our names hanging along the wall with all the other influential scientists. Maybe we’ll even be grouped with the likes of Miss Curie.”

Zatanna scoffed, “She published her paper not a week before we left.”

“But you’ve heard the chatter. Her radium is certainly bound to change the world. And with a discovery like _this_ ,” Graphite eyes flicked to the trees through the destroyed hole in the window’s boards, “1902 must be the year of greatness, don’t you think?”

“The year of impulsivity leading to certain death is more like it.” Zatanna crossed her arms, gnawing the inside of her cheek as she thought, “There’s no certainty that we’ll find those Amazons and not the apes that we keep hearing.”

Raven waved her concern aside, “Have faith, Zatanna.”

“Faith in what? God? Adventure?” A snort escaped her, “We’re researchers, Roth. Neither missionaries nor explorers.”

The girl let out a quiet laugh, pushing her glasses up as she started taking all the stray pins out of her hair, “Then be it the faith of advancement!”

She paused to beam at Zatanna, expectant. The older woman sighed, “Of science?”

Raven began pulling her hair up into a braid. A gray eye winked at her, “Now you're getting it.”

Zatanna let out a breath, her face turning to the forest again. They could stay in the cabin, write out everything that had occurred so far and hope that Victor and Constantine would return for them in less than two months. The lifeboat was still tied off if they needed to flee, but there’d be no guarantee of their survival if they left. Sapphire eyes glanced at the sun, not even halfway through it’s trek through the sky; they had at least ten hours of light left, but Zatanna had to restate, “This is a horrible idea.”

She stood as she spoke, her hands on her hips. Her lips pursed as she took stock of everything that they could carry and she glanced over her shoulder at the zoologist, “Make sure you bring an extra pistol. I don’t think a cast iron pot will do us much good out there.”

Raven let out a low chuckle, stretching her back until it popped as she stood, “I thought this was ‘a horrible idea,’ Zatara?”

Her cheekiness got her a half-hearted glare and Zatanna’s hair flip hitting her in the face, “Don’t push your luck, Roth. If anyone’s going to die first it’ll be you.”


	5. First Contact

The birds curiously peered down at the two researchers as they stumbled over the tree roots and pulled their boots out of the rotting leaves, their already shaky steps losing confidence the further in they went. Zatanna carefully held her compass in one hand and a knife in the other, marking every fourth tree they passed with a hastily carved X. She focused on the lack of _any_ obvious hints of humanity, ignoring as the zoologist behind her let out lazy hums as she noticed knots in the trees and thick branches, warped from being used for sleep. 

“I don’t think there are any small primates here,” Raven was just a step behind her. Zatanna glanced over her shoulder as the girl asked, “What do you have so far?”

Taking a breath as she decided to turn west, Zatanna marked a tree with an X and a W before beginning to read aloud, “Log date: June 12th, 1902. Trek One: some large primates reside on the closest island to Themyscira, noted by loud howling at random intervals so far into our stay. We have spotted two Amazons who appear to be in remarkable physical health--” She paused to glare as Raven snickered at her words, whipping back around to mark another tree before continuing, “Although the smaller one was shot in the arm after nearly breaking into the cabin.”

She fought back a smirk at the groan her words caused. “Location-wise, Roth and I have started due north from the cabin’s back. This trip is to only last a few hours to note any and all features that coincide with the expedition’s goals, recorded on the other pages. We turned directly west after just over forty minutes of walking, as noted by the X we’ve carved in every third tree and our pocket watches, which state it is 14:23. We departed at 13:37 when the weather was clear and sunny.”

Zatanna’s steps slowed as she unfastened her bun, letting her hair fall to protect her neck from the bugs that were starting to bite. Raven clicked her tongue, “That might be dangerous if we need to run.”

The anthropologist waved her concerns aside, “We have a gun, that’s plenty enough.”

Raven took a few seconds to respond, her breath coming out in a sigh as she quipped, “You know, Victor told me that once.”

“And was he right?”

A thunderous grunt sounded across the treetops. Raven rolled her jaw, “No, actually.” She narrowed her eyes as Zatanna went to her weak side, her knife steady as they waited for the animal to make itself known. 

After a second of silence Raven thought better of herself and turned off the safety, not trusting her reaction time with so little room. They kept walking, their movements more of a crouch. Only a few steps through the underbrush and the two came upon a semi-clearing, made from when a thick-trunked tree had fallen. The zoologist tilted her head at the sight; no more that a year must have passed, if the rotting plants, thriving insect hub and mushroom patches meant anything. Before she could dwell too much on it another ruffle of leaves filled the air and both women went tense at the unmistakable feeling of being watched. 

Raven let out a breath and murmured, “Keep an eye on our backs and a hand on me.” 

Zatanna did as she said, her fingers curling to fist her shirt as a _thud!_ sounded just beyond the clearing. Shifting until her lead foot was closer to where the sound had come out, gray eyes narrowed as _something_ darted through the leaves. Zatanna let out a gasp half a heartbeat before an ape came crashing into the clearing.

It’s golden eyes were wild and angry. Raven raised her weapon as it bluffed a first charge, not knowing what to do. 

The ape let out a scratchy roar, it’s nostrils flaring indignantly as a scathing howl was cried back in response, somewhere incredibly close to where they stood. Zatanna’s grip turned piercing as a symphony of shrieks started up around them. Raven faltered as she chanced a look around and the ape took advantage. 

It charged and, once again, Raven fired the gun. 

And, again, she only just grazed her target. 

The primate stumbled at the tiny blip of pain and then lunged forward, its screech going up a pitch as a second bullet pierced through its palm. It swiped at her with its non bloodied hand, missing by just a few inches as Raven backpedalled. Her boot got stuck in mud and she tripped over Zatanna, her gun slipping out of her grasp as they fell. Gold eyes glinted as the ape stood up on its hind legs in front of them, its arms swinging back to strike in tune with the other apes roaring out their approvals and disagreements. Before the hairy fists could swing down a shadow seemed to pass over the sun. 

Something _hit_ the animal like a cannonball, sending it careening back and toppling ass over end. The beasts around them hesitated, shrinking back into the shadows of the vines at the sight of _her_. 

Raven scooted back in the brush as she stared up at the younger Amazon, her fists curled tight as she stood in between the three. Zatanna shifted under her at the tension, her scream caught in her throat as the ape threatened to charge again. 

Without a moment’s hesitation their protector rushed forward, dirt kicking up from her heels as she met the ape head-on. Raven could only gape as she watched the woman shoulder check the creature, spinning with her momentum to punch it in between the eyes. A quick flurry of wallops accompanied the blow and one final, mighty kick to the ribs sent the ape scampering away. The unseen primate audience dispersed, the leaves crinkling and the vines snapping under their weight as they went back into hiding. 

Raven blinked up at the woman, softly moving to crouch on her knees. Free of any weapons, the Amazon paid her little mind, although her ears did twitch at the incredulous huff that came out of Zatanna and the stretch of fabric as the anthropologist tugged on her shirt. 

As the nearly naked warrior put her attention on them, Raven found the strength to fully stand. Her movements were slow, half so as to not incite panic and half so that her heart didn’t give out with how fast it was beating. Now that they were (relatively) face to face she could tell that despite her height this Amazon couldn’t have been a year older than her, if that. Gray eyes flicked from the round features of her face to the path the gorilla had scampered off on. 

She took a small step forward and wove her fingers in front of her stomach, nervous and grateful. The warrior’s chest was still heaving from her exertion, but she went still as Raven softly addressed her, “Thank you.”

A blink was her only response. The zoologist felt heat curl up her neck when the Amazon merely looked her over once, her chin turning to glance at the gun that was discarded in the mud. Silently, the woman stared down at her, the plain curiosity on her face taking away any intimidation that her size brought. 

Taking a quick breath through her nose, Raven stepped forward again. She ignored how Zatanna’s stare bored into her back and decided the least she could do was introduce herself, language gap or not. She smiled, her amazement coming through in a quiet chuckle, “I’m Raven. What’s your name?”

When all her question got was a pair of furrowed brows and a head tilt, she repeated her name and shaped her hands as if making a shadow puppet of the bird whose name she bore, “Raven. You know, like a raven bird?”

After a beat her name came out of the girl’s mouth, disjointed, “Rey-van?” 

Confused, cerulean eyes glanced from the zoologist to where the gorilla had run off to and back. Biting the inside of her cheek, Raven shook her head. The woman tilted her head to the other side this time, even more perplexed.

“Um,” She figured directly naming a bird probably wasn’t her best bet. Since her repetitions didn’t seem to be working, Raven pointed at herself and spoke clearly, “Raven.” She immediately aimed her finger towards the other scholar as she tried to pick herself up out of the mud, “Zatanna.”

The Amazon’s brows jumped as Zatanna reacted to her name being called, her eyes brightening as she understood. She pointed to her chest, her name less cautious on her lips as she spoke, “Donna.”

Donna patted her collarbone again and Raven couldn’t even find it in herself to be abashed at the slap of skin. Hell, in the midst of this stunning discovery she couldn’t even find any _hint_ of intelligent rationalizing that years of schooling had been drilled into her. Instead, all she could do was beam up at the tall fighter, “Hello, Donna.”

The Amazon’s grin was enough to stop her heart and a tanned hand pointed to the treetops, where her sister was apparently hiding if that earlier feeling of being watched was any indication. Donna gave a laughing sort of snort, one that made Raven’s heart tumble as she named, “Diana.” 

The girl couldn’t bite back her soft laugh as she nodded in understanding, tilting her head up to wave at where she supposed the older woman sat, “Hello, Diana! I’m Raven!”

Her voice came out a bit louder than expected, rattling in the air. In response there was a shift in the leaves and the sense that Diana had left. The trees creaked with the woman’s jump and then Donna quickly looked up in realization, her chin tightening. Blue eyes quickly went back to the short woman. 

Reaching up to touch the now-pink cheek, Donna gently said the pretty stranger’s name again, the word full of regret and wist as she tried to get the syllables just right, “Raven…”

Gray eyes were wide and soft as they stared at each other for a long moment, but what must have barely been a second. “Roth,” Zatanna’s voice was a worried hiss as the air dangerously shifted and another howl sliced through the air. It was deeper and scratchier than the one that they had just encountered and for not the first time she wished Raven wasn’t the only one who knew how to shoot a gun, mud-jammed as it was, “We should go.” 

Before Donna could pull away a pale hand inched up to touch where the bullet’s graze was tightly bound. Raven’s face was an odd mix of delighted and flustered and questioning, but her smile came through in her voice. “Thank you, Donna,” She murmured again, tearing her gaze away and quickly jogging to catch up to the anthropologist before she got caught in the Amazon’s stare for any longer.

Zatanna kept her knife at her side and her pocket watch near her face as she set about leading them back; so consumed in making sure they got back to the cabin she didn’t notice as Raven peeked over her shoulder at Donna again, her fingers curling in a timid wave as they disappeared into the forest.

Donna watched them go for just a second. She hesitantly moved to touch where Raven’s fingertips had trailed across her skin, shook her head once to clear her thoughts, then jumped towards one of the trees, ready to rejoin her sister’s patrol in the treetops.

\--

A part of them knew that the Amazons were probably nearby, especially when no animals tried to nip at the space around them as they made it back to the cabin. The trek was a quiet one, accompanied only with the sound of the birds cawing as they went out for their afternoon hunting before the sunset could begin. Neither scientist was in the mood, let alone able, to talk about what had happened.

Zatanna was still in disbelief that they hadn’t perished not two days into their solo mission; Raven was still in disbelief that she now knew Donna’s name and what her voice sounded like. They split off as they dragged themselves into the cabin, one going to drown her worries in recording all that she could remember with the air of their stash of horribly underspiced jerky and the other going to meditate near the broken-boarded window. The sunset’s heat on the zoologist’s skin wouldn’t do _much_ compared to the schoolyard-crush blush that burned at the mere thought of Donna, but it was enough to distract her.

A few short hours laters, as the sky turned from blue to orange to pink, Zatanna joined her out on the steps with two cups of tea. Raven opened her eyes as the boards creaked under them, announcing into the air, “Do you think they even speak Greek?”

Zatanna sipped at her jasmine. She let out a small sigh, the sound matching the small dark circles under her eyes, “They obviously speak _something_. They’re wild but not _feral_ … No one who didn’t grow up around language would be able to pick up on your cues like that.”

Gray eyes flicked to the splintered wood chips that scattered the other half of the makeshift porch, “Do you think they’ll come back?”

“Maybe,” Zatanna’s voice was even, the undercurrent of wistfulness obvious as she kept herself from saying anything else with another sip of tea. They settled into silence for a minute. 

The girl bit her lip, “I hope they do.”

\--

Raven was tossing and turning as she tried to get comfortable on her mat. Her lids drooped as the full consequences of nearly two days without a proper rest made themselves known, although her skin still buzzed with unused adrenaline at all that had happened. She looked up in the dim moonlight as Zatanna snuck closer and started slicing some of their provisions, sleepily nodding and resting her cheek on the pillow. 

She was still trying to get comfortable as the anthropologist slipped out of the cabin. Carefully balancing the tray of bread, jerky, and dried pear slices, Zatanna stepped off of the splintery steps and walked to the wooded side of the cabin. She took a quick look around and then glanced up, her breath catching.

Sapphire eyes blinked at the sight of the woman who must have been Diana. Perched on a branch nearly twice the height of the cabin’s roof she seemed to be… keeping watch?

The Amazon’s gaze turned to her as another howl rumbled over the island, making the Gothamite’s shoulders rise to her ears. She briefly wondered just how many apes roamed the archipelago, but pushed the thought aside. As long as the Amazons were there, they had _some_ semblance of a chance for survival. 

That would have to be enough for now.

Taking a soft breath Zatanna carefully walked up to the tree Diana sat in, clutching the tray’s edges as she rested it against her hip. She softly waved up at her and mimicked what Raven had done earlier. “Hello, Diana.” 

The anthropologist pointed to herself, “Zatanna.”

A squeak escaped her as Diana abruptly jumped down at her introduction, kicking up some dirt with her landing. The scholar’s eyes went comically wide as she had to crane her neck up to look into the Amazon’s face. Zatanna couldn’t hold her blush back (mainly due to exactly _what_ her face was level with given their height difference) as Diana narrowed her eyes at her visitor and the food, curious. 

Flustered, she tried to hand Diana the tray. The Amazon let out a quiet laugh as she easily balanced the plate on her palms, obviously confused at what it was for; Zatanna didn’t know if she was amused at the pink glow that must have been radiating off her cheeks or the mess that was their first interaction. But something in Diana’s face made her chuckle too.

There was a _splash!_ as a bird dove down to grab a crab and a screeching squawk as its meal pinched its legs. Shaking her head as she remembered _why_ she had come out, Zatanna lifted the tray in the oh-so-small space in between them. Diana tilted her head and the scholar spoke, “Oh! Uh, here--” 

Zatanna softly ripped some of the bread apart, taking the smaller piece for herself as she laid the jerky on top and took a bite. Diana watched her and then faithfully copied her steps, her azure eyes lighting up at the snack. They then immediately hardened as yet another howl rang out, echoing from so far away that it must have been on one of the other islands. 

As she noticed the tension that tightened the tall woman’s (broad, so _very_ defined) shoulders, Zatanna turned to go back to the cabin, her heart leaping in her throat when Diana spoke, “Za-tanna?”

Her name sounded gruff and uncertain on the Amazon’s lips but that didn’t stop Zatanna from turning around so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. Smiling at the wide-eyed look aimed her way, Diana held up one of the pear slices as she tested out what Donna had kept repeating earlier, “Thank… you.”

Somehow, the anthropologist’s enamored speechlessness didn’t keep her from her manners, her words coming out in a tremble, “You’re very welcome, Diana.” 

Diana’s eyes flicked to the cabin as Raven opened the door and peeked out, graphite eyes widening and a sheepish smile coming to her face as she waved and ducked back inside. Her quiet hiss of “Sorry!” carried over the wind and Zatanna looked back at the Amazon, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. Softly shaking with laughter and nerves, Zatanna jerked a thumb over her shoulder, “I’m going to head back in now.” 

She bit the inside of her cheek then let her tongue poke out to lick her suddenly dry lips. Her mind screamed at her to both ignore and focus on the way Diana watched the move, but all she could think was to say, “You probably don’t understand what I’m saying, but I’m really glad we got to meet here. So… thank you.”

Diana’s brows jumped at the one familiar phrase she knew. Zatanna’s lips curled, “For your sister running off those apes and for _you_ watching over us. We appreciate it.” 

Zatanna rubbed the back of her arm, “ _I_ appreciate it.” 

Blushing, she ducked her head and turned her shoulders to go back, figuring that neither she nor Raven would need to keep watch, “Anyway, goodnight Diana.” At the warrior’s confused stare she pressed her palms together and mimed sleeping, her smile brightening her face even more as Diana let out a hum of understanding. 

The anthropologist took a step back, repeating, “Well, goodnight, then.”

Diana’s words were slow as she tried to get the sounds just right, but the scholar’s heart still tumbled end over end as she bid, “Good.. night. Zatanna.”


End file.
